1. Field of the invention
This invention relates generally to a grain auger paddle and specifically to a flexible paddle having a base for mounting the paddle to an auger tubing in a variety of positions.
2. Discussion of the Technical Problems
Augers have become widely used in the transport of materials, primarily because of their ease of maintenance and initial low cost. They provide a highly reliable way to move materials in a direction parallel with their length, but are not efficient in discharging transported materials at right angles to the auger length (longitudinal axis).
When used in combine or crop gathering situations the accepted means of unloading an auger has generally become a system of retractable fingers at the point of desired ejection. This system of retractable fingers presents too little area striking the incoming material to change its direction of flow and retracts too soon, leaving a dead spot beneath and behind the center of the auger. This exceedingly inefficient performance in some cases has resulted in damaged crop materials, causing even greater difficulty in their transport. The cumulative effect of all this is a bunching of crop material in the auger center as it does not eject with positive action on each auger revolution, hindering the efficiency of auger transport of material to the congested central discharge area, finally resulting in the forced discharge of material in accumulated bunches into the machine instead of flowing in an even steady movement as it is gathered.
To properly perform, an auger must have a reliable mechanism for ejecting transported materials at the desired point of discharge with each revolution of the auger. This means of ejection must be moveable to feet the requirement of variable placement for varying conditions or for adding on to existing equipment. In the instant invention these conditions are met by a paddle-shaped extension from a base which is mountable by bolts through the auger tubing. When changing conditions require different placement, the device is unbolted and repositioned to meet the current needs This is an important requirement on a combine auger as the flighting length is often increased to move material farther toward the auger center under sparse conditions or decreased to accomplish unloading farther from the center under heavy crop conditions. The area presented by the striking faces of the paddles is also an important consideration When too great a striking area is presented to the incoming material, the material tends to spin with the rotation of the auger rather than to unload In the instant invention, striking area is adjusted by adding or removing paddle units For most, but not all, conditions, two paddle units are used.
The paddle face is oriented slightly rearward on its top edge from the base with its length parallel to the length of the auger when mounted and presents a flat striking face to the incoming material with each revolution of the auger, positively ejecting transported material at right angles to its initial direction of flow at the point of impact. The existing retractable auger fingers are left in place as they no longer tend to flail the material when it is being efficiently moved by the paddles.
The rearward angling of the paddle face from perpendicular tends to more efficiently unload the paddle after contact with the incoming material, decreasing any tendency to spin the material around the auger tubing. Paddle corners are also rounded to minimize any obstructing influence caused by the paddles to incoming material. For most applications the paddles are positioned at 180 degrees rotation past the flighting ends and inward toward the auger center from the flighting ends. This allows the transported material to enter far enough to be spread evenly across the width of the threshing apparatus when the paddle unloads the auger on each revolution.
The paddles lend themselves to various means of construction, all of which are sufficient as long as they present the proper area, configuration, durability, flexibility and base means which is moveable. Under extremely harsh conditions a solid steel base with a threaded back-up plate beneath the inner side of the auger tubing is used. Upon this base is attached a replaceable paddle bat. For less demanding situations a molded one pieced paddle and base is adequate and more economical to manufacture, giving greater economy to the user. The molded unit has several unique features. Having no back-up plate beneath the auger tubing, it requires only bolts, washers and nuts for mounting upon the auger tubing. It incorporates a strip of metal or material of similar durability the width of the unit on each side of the paddle member to tighten the nuts down upon and hold the flexible base in place more securely. The flexible base member has a molded rib on each edge which is raised to fit against the bracing strip to prevent the base from being pulled beneath the strip by the impacts of normal operation. To provide additional bracing where necessary under more severe conditions, the bracing strips are widened and angled to extend part way up to the paddle member of the unit on each side. This removes excess stress from the paddle-base juncture and will be furnished as conditions require. The molded unit possesses the additional feature of configuring to different sized auger tubing and is mountable with either face forward.
Generally, paddles will extend to the height of the auger flighting and are limited in surface area, because too great a striking area will cause the transported material to spin with the rotation of the auger tubing. Striking area is controlled by the number of units mounted.
The instant invention is directed to all of these needs as well as to others as explained in the following summary.